Christmas garlands, buntings, pennants… whatever you call them, they’re everywhere this year! Both classic and new, holiday garlands are a great way to decorate for the season. Wrapped around a tree, draped across a mantle or doorway, pinned to the curtains, or even in that proverbial hallway, garlands go everywhere. These 10 free crochet Christmas garland patterns are some of the best I’ve seen!

Summer activities are in full swing here in Iowa, and with the long days spent outdoors there are two things a kid needs – plenty of sunscreen and drinking water! My youngest picked out a fresh new water bottle, but I wanted to make sure he’d be able to tell which one is his, and I had only 15 minutes before we had to go… so I whipped up this!

If you are thinking of making an afghan, the sheer size can be daunting, but crochet offers several different options for breaking it down into pieces. One of my favorites are the 12 inch blocks. They are like granny squares in that they usually start from a center point and work outward, but the finished designs are very different. Small and interesting, they are great traveling projects, and a great way to make an heirloom, one block at a time!

Way back in 2008, I made my first block afghan, seen above. There are 25 gorgeous squares in there, and it’s still in use and looking good. I made this entire blanket in white, but of course you can make yours as colorful as you can imagine! This style is also perfect for group afghans, where each person contributes one or two squares. If you are thinking about making one of these blankets, there are over 200 free block patterns on Ravelry. And here are 10 of my personal favorites!

The pictures aren’t the greatest – I took each one as I finished the square, but they give you an idea. There are so many possibilities! You can use all different squares as I did, or you can repeat the same square in different colors… get creative! Make a square while you watch a movie, work on a block while waiting for an appointment, and soon you’ll have a pile of squares waiting to be joined.

There are plenty of methods for joining too – whip stitching, single crocheting, etc. My personal favorite method is the flat braided join. It’s pretty, it looks complicated (but isn’t!) and best of all it’s flexible – it’s rare that every square will be *exactly* the same size or have the same number of stitches on the final row, and this method lets you fudge things so they all work together. There are a series of great video tutorials for flat braid join on youtube – I can’t recommend them enough! Now pick a square, pick up your hook, and get started on a custom handmade blanket of your own!

Welcome to the revamped moogly! New year, new look. Cleaner lines, less distractions, and more craft! There are lots of other fun things we have in store for you this year, including instructional videos (assuming the kids can be quiet enough to film!), more free patterns, and lots more posts and updates.

To kick it off, let’s talk hats! This month has been all about hats for me, from soft light hats for those battling cancer, to slouchy beanies that bring out an Irish lass’s eyes. There’s nothing as satisfying as a quick project that can change your entire look, and hats fit the bill. Crocheted or knitted, hats are a wardrobe staple, a fantastic stash buster, and a great gift. This week I made a couple of lovely hats for two beautiful girls.

The Blackberry Salad Striped Baby Blanket pattern was originally written up for a baby sized blanket, but of course, it can work for everything from a dishcloth to a king sized bedspread! This past week I worked up one in a size that’s great for a throw, wrap, or lap-ghan. Or maybe an accent/decorator blanket. Whatever you call it, it all worked out.